a. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods for marketing and distributing gift certificates and coupons (or generically, xe2x80x9cvouchersxe2x80x9d). More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for mass, nationwide distribution of vouchers for redemption at a specific merchant/virtual mall, or, more broadly, on the Internet as a whole via a computer network. The present invention is based a centralized voucher server that maintains a database of participating merchants, virtual malls, and of the outstanding vouchers and to what extent they have been redeemed. Software is provided to participating merchants allowing them to provide on-line purchasing and redemption of gift certificates and coupons via a link with a voucher server, without the merchant having the technical components for such services on its own web page or server.
The gift certificates are delivered electronically to the recipient after purchase either over the phone, at a brick and mortar store, at a virtual mall, at a merchant web site, or a web site ran by the operator of the gift certificate system. Coupons may be obtained by visiting the voucher server or by visiting the web sites of participating merchants. Also, coupons may be sent to customers (by any means of communication such as e-mail, regular mail, or the like) based on a customer profile maintained on the voucher server.
b. Description of the Prior Art
The concept of electronic transactions on a computer network is relatively new. Ignoring transactions pursuant to telephone calls involving a real person on each end, the concept of electronic transactions between two electronic devices was practically unknown until banks pioneered electronic transactions for wire transfers of large quantities of cash.
With the rise of the Internet in the early 1980s, long distance electronic transactions became possible for the general public. However, electronic commerce transactions were still relatively rare outside of the above-noted banking transactions until the early 1990s. This was partly because the technologies required for such transactions were not well developed. Also, until the early 1990s there were still a relatively small number of consumers with access to the Internet.
The term xe2x80x9cInternetxe2x80x9d will be used throughout this document. As used herein, xe2x80x9cInternetxe2x80x9d means a network of machines accessible to/by multiple users, the machines having the capability, using a common communication protocol, of communicating pursuant to programming commands or information input by users. One specific embodiment of the term Internet is the computer network currently operating to allow users to communicate with remote servers using the common programming language HTML. The terms xe2x80x9ccomputer network,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9clong distance network,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9celectronic networkxe2x80x9d and other variations of these phrases may be used interchangeably in this document, and are intended to be coextensive with the term xe2x80x9cInternet.xe2x80x9d
Recently, there has been an exponential increase in the number of people with access to the Internet. Consequently, Internet business has proliferated. Great quantities of capital have poured into businesses related to the Internet. However, the full potential of the Internet for commercial transactions has not been realized. This is in part due to the fact that many businesses and business services available in the brick and mortar business world are not yet available or are not fully developed in the virtual world.
As an example relevant to this application, there are many sites which enable a user to send a gift certificate for redemption on the Internet via regular mail, via e-mail, or both. Some sites have a convenient way of spending the gift certificate on-line by inputting the certificate number. However, the majority of web sites either do not offer gift certificate capabilities at all, or, if they do offer gift certificates, they do not offer a convenient way to redeem gift certificates on-line.
Giftpoint.com allows a purchaser to buy a gift certificate on-line for use at a participating merchants. A purchase first selects the dollar value certificate they wish to give to a recipient, and pays for the certificate on-line. The recipient can then redeem that dollar value on-line at the Giftpoint.com redemption center for a gift certificate for use at the merchant or merchants of the recipient""s choice. For example, if a purchaser gives a recipient a $50.00 gift certificate, the recipient can then go to Giftpoint.com""s web site and select a merchant from whom they wish to make a purchase, for example, selecting Barnes and Noble. Alternatively, a recipient can also select gift certificates from more than one merchant, for example, Barnes and Noble and Borders Book Store, so long as each certificate has a value of at least $20.00. The Giftpoint.com site does not allow the recipient to redeem the gift certificate on-line, rather, they can simply obtain the certificate on-line, which the recipient must then take to the actual merchant for redemption.
Several on-line merchants currently offer gift certificates and coupons for use at their own sites. Amazon.com sells gift certificates and provides coupons on-line. Amazon.com also provides on-line redemption of gift certificates/coupons and additional payment (should the gift certificate balance be inadequate to purchase the desired goods), but only at Amazon.com""s own web site. Amazon.com does not allow a customer to purchase a gift certificate for redemption at a third party merchant""s web site. Amazon.com performs all of the technical, accounting and related functions for themselves, which they are capable of doing since they are among the largest retailers on the Internet. Similarly, Barnes and Noble provides on-line coupons at its web site. However, as with Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble""s on-line coupons can only be used at Barnes and Noble""s web site.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of marketing gift certificates and coupons (collectively referred to as xe2x80x9cvouchersxe2x80x9d) for on-line redemption. More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a centralized system based on a voucher server, which system can handle marketing and redemption of vouchers for a number of participating third party merchants/virtual malls. This centralized processing frees participating merchants from having to develop the in-house technical expertise necessary to administer such a system.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a plurality of routes for purchasing or receiving vouchers, such as: over the phone, at a brick and mortar store, at a virtual mall, or a merchant web site on-line, or at the web site of the operator of the certificate system. Preferably, regardless of the route by which the voucher is obtained, the actual transaction will be processed by the voucher server to facilitate tracking vouchers and ensure successful redemption. The purchaser of a gift certificate can them elect to have it delivered via regular mail, e-mail, facsimile, telephone, or, potentially via hand delivery (probably only to the purchaser at the store where the certificate is purchased). Delivery of the voucher, according to the method selected by the purchaser, is then attempted, and if successful, the purchaser is notified that the gift certificate has been successfully delivered. If delivery is unsuccessful, the purchaser is contacted and asked to give alternative delivery directions.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gift certificate which can direct the recipient to the goods and services pre-selected by the purchaser on-line. For example, if a purchaser has identified a certain blouse at a merchant""s web site, the gift certificate will preferably be able to direct the recipient to the web page showing the blouse in question. The recipient is then free to purchase the blouse the purchaser has selected, or the recipient can select another item. Directing a recipient to a particular item may not be possible, depending on the merchant""s web site. This xe2x80x9cdirectingxe2x80x9d feature may require a purchaser to use frames to select the web page showing the frames in question. Some merchant""s web sites do not allow their pages to be framed, so for these merchants, it may not be possible to point a recipient to a particular item.
It is also an object of the present invention to allow the purchaser to specify, if he so desires, where the gift certificate may be redeemed. The purchaser may specify a particular merchant, a virtual mall, or the Internet as a whole. Or, the purchaser may select some subset of the above-noted categories. The method allows for customization of the gift certificate to suit the needs of the purchaser. However, where the gift certificate is purchased through the web site of a participating merchant/virtual mall, not directly on the voucher server, the merchant/mall may restrict the purchaser""s choice regarding where the certificate can be redeemed.
It is also an object of the present invention to allow a recipient to select an item which costs more than the remaining monetary balance of the gift certificate account. In such a case, the recipient will be prompted to enter a method for payment of the excess amount. The recipient, for example, can, upon receiving a $50.00 gift certificate, select a $100.00 item. The recipient will be prompted for a payment method to provide the additional money due above the amount of the gift certificate. The recipient can enter information regarding payment by credit card, payment by a second gift certificate, or by the method disclosed in the Parent Application, or in the related continuation-in-part application. It is a related object that a recipient holding a gift certificate may also choose to apply less than the full amount to his purchase. For example, if the recipient holds a $50.00 gift certificate and is purchasing a $52.00 item, he may prefer to use only half on the gift certificate, or $25.00, and remit the remaining $27.00 by credit card or other method of payment. That way he avoids a small, in this case $2.00, charge while retaining a significant amount on his gift certificate for use at a later time.
It is an object of the present invention to provide security for on-line gift certificate purchases. This security is achieved through comparison of information provided by the redeemer with data stored in the voucher server related to the account number in question and the password(s) for the account, if applicable. These security features are transmitted to the recipient in such a manner as to improve the security of the system.
Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a centralized processing system for providing accounting and banking functions to participating merchants. Participating merchants are provided with regular accounting information and regular transfers to their bank accounts regarding gift certificate purchases from the merchant""s web site. This centralized processing system implemented through a voucher server allows the tracking of customer""s purchases. Marketing campaigns and product launches can use this purchasing history data to tailor electronic mailers to customers. These electronic mailers may include vouchers or the like.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in this application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.